The present invention relates to a detergent composition which gives users a granular feel upon use, permits actually feeling a cleansing effect and has a high detergent effect and excellent mass aging ability and rinsability.
Many conventional detergent compositions for removing smear or dirt on the skin and makeup have been used by applying them to the skin, cause the smear or dirt to come to the surface of the skin by massaging and rinsing out them with water. However, such detergent compositions have involved such problems that sufficient massaged feeling and detergent effect are not achieved, and they give an actual feeling that the smear and makeup have been removed only to a poor extent. In addition, in such detergent compositions, a nonionic surfactant is generally incorporated, and the compositions have good detergency to oily smear such as makeup, but are not fully satisfactory from the viewpoint of rinsability because they have a feel of sliminess upon rinsing with water.
Further, detergents in which a scrubbing agent composed of any of various kinds of powder is incorporated (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 238008/1988, 124119/1992 and 20647/1997), and peeling or gommage cosmetics in which powder or fiber is incorporated (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 39507/1987, 167926/1998, 287542/1998, 258020/1995 and 12427/1997) have also been known. However, they have been unable to achieve a sufficient detergent effect and give an actual feeling thereof, and have not been fully satisfactory from the viewpoint of massaging ability and rinsability.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a detergent composition which has a high detergent effect, permits actually feeling such an effect and has excellent massaging ability and rinsability.
The present inventors have found that when a specific surfactant and fiber having a specific fiber length are used in combination, a detergent composition which has a high detergent effect, permits actually feeling such an effect because the fiber aggregates upon use to capture smear or dirt therein, and also has excellent massaging ability and rinsability can be provided.
The present invention provides a detergent composition comprising the following components (A) and (B):
(A) 3 to 60% by weight of at least one surfactant selected from anionic surfactants, amphoteric surfactants and hydrophilic nonionic surfactants; and
(B) 0.1 to 50% by weight of fiber having an average fiber length of 0.02 to 1 mm.
The present invention also provides a method of cleansing the skin, which comprises using the detergent composition described above. In the present invention, the cleansing of the skin includes both removal of smear or dirt on the skin and removal of makeup.